


A Peaceful Morn

by ladyoneill



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Family, Love, Miscarriage, Pre-Book(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-26
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-23 11:05:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3765808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyoneill/pseuds/ladyoneill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A peaceful summer morning with a content family and a puppy has Druella musing about her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Peaceful Morn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [etoilecourageuse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/etoilecourageuse/gifts).



> This was fun to write. Two characters I've never given a thought about, but it was enjoyable to flesh them out and explore teenage Bella, Andi, and Cissy, too. I hope you enjoy my look into the Black family! I ignored the weird age JKR gave Cygnus and made him older, hope that's okay! The miscarriages are simply referred to in the story.

The manor is quiet, the summer dawn sun just rising over the horizon. Standing at her bedroom window, Druella watches the mist slowly lift over the gardens, revealing the roses she loves so much, blooming in a riot of reds, pinks and whites. Behind her on the mantle the clock chimes the hour and her husband stirs.

A small smile crosses her face, the memories of their passionate night before fresh in her mind. Married for eighteen years and after three children, Cygnus still stirs her blood with barely a hooded look or brush of his fingers over her bare skin.

Nearly a dozen years, and two tragic miscarriages, have passed since she last bore him a child, and, as her hand touches her flat stomach, she wonders if she could be pregnant again. The timing was right, the moon seductive and full. Maybe...

She would love to give Cygnus a son to follow in his name and tradition, to inherit this manor and his wealth, but her husband has never expressed any need for one, any disappointment in her ability to only give him daughters.

It's one of the things she loves most about him.

So caught up in her thoughts and daydreams, she doesn't hear him come up behind her and startles when his large hands grip her shoulders. Cygnus makes a pleased noise and, as he fingers the silky straps of her gown, his mouth brushes her neck, his nose nuzzling past her thick, golden hair.

"What are you doing up so early, Dru?" he murmurs, and she sinks back against him. His arms wrap around her shoulders, hands resting just above her still full breasts.

"Reveling in the quiet," she muses. The girls have been home from school for three days and the noise they generate is both a joy and a frustration.

Cygnus snorts and kisses her again, then nods towards the now sunlit garden. "Shall we breakfast on the terrace?"

Druella nods and the next few minutes are spent freshening up, wrapping in warm robes and finding slippers, before they leave their bedroom, hand in hand. They stop in the kitchen to direct the house elves before they meandering outside into the cool morning. A quick spell by Cygnus warms the air around them and she smiles at him as he seats her at the wrought iron table before joining her, sitting next to her instead of across from her.

One of the things she loves most about him is how he seems genuinely to enjoy being within touching distance as often as possible.

She will always be amazed that the arranged marriage that began with her barely an adult, not knowing Cygnus other than by name and reputation, blossomed so quickly into an enduring love match. He's nearly ten years older than she, dark in hair and complexion where she is fair, and at first they seemed to have nothing in common.

But he doted on her from their wedding night on and, charmed past the point of trepidation, she quickly fell in love.

In their society, amongst dark wizards, it's not done. Her parents didn't love each other. Her siblings and friends are all in advantageous but distant marriages. Druella's never known why she got so lucky with Cygnus, but she won't question it either.

She just hopes her daughters find the same joy and peace she has found in her beloved husband.

Speaking of...

Fourteen and brash, Andromeda stomps in riding boots and boy's trousers out the door to flop down at the table. Druella opens her mouth to chide her to sit up straight and act like a lady, but then closes it with a sigh. Their middle daughter will never conform to society's norms, but Druella loves her all the same.

"I assume you plan to spend the summer on your horse again," Cygnus says, a small smile playing at his lips. Their daughters' personalities are vastly different, but he dotes on all three of them.

"I don't know why we can't take them to Hogwarts. Owls, cats, rats, are fine, but not horses?"

Sally, their youngest house elf, wrapped in a fine linen tea towel, sets a heavy tray in front of Druella before bowing her way back into the house. 

Pouring tea into three fine China cups, Druella replies, "Because you would spend all your time in the stables and not at your studies."

The Daily Prophet drops from an owls claws into Cygnus' hands and he opens it as Andromeda snags a piece of toast and slathers marmalade on it.

"If that's a scold about my marks, I warned you I'd never be as good as Bella."

"As long as you pass, we'll be pleased," Cygnus says, and Druella smiles at him, then turns at the sound of Narcissa's giggles.

Their youngest daughter, still in her nightgown and robe, is cuddling her puppy, a gift from her father for doing well her first year at school.

"Good morning mama, papa." Before setting the puppy down to scamper across the soft green grass, she brushes her lips over each their cheeks, then follows the dog with another laugh.

"Do you want breakfast, Cissy?" Druella calls after her.

"In a minute!"

"Has she named the dog, yet?" Cygnus asks, his gaze on their youngest, her pale hair streaming behind her as she runs after the spaniel.

Andromeda rolls her eyes. "She changes it hourly."

"And how long did it take for you to name your horse?" he teases, making her flush and stuff another piece of toast into her mouth.

"Try chewing, dear."

There's another roll of her eyes, but she concedes with a 'yes, mum'.

Returning with another full tray, Sally sets out plates loaded with eggs, rashers of bacon, fried tomatoes and, for Cygnus, a small bowl of mushrooms. Everything is cooked to perfection, and, Narcissa joining them with the puppy a sleepy heap at her feet, they eat their full, chatting about their plans for the coming week, Druella reminding their girls they need to do their summer reading at some point, preferably before their holiday in the South of France at the end of the month. After pushing his empty plate away, Cygnus reads them amusing stories from the newspaper, and suggests an outing in three days to the Muggle county fair.

Andromeda mentions wanting to attend a quidditch match sometime the following week, and Narcissa chatters about shopping for new dresses, needed as the girl is growing like a weed.

Finally Bellatrix joins them, dressed all in black, her dark hair in plaits pinned around her head, looking like the queen she is at school. Restricting herself to one soft boiled egg and a piece of toast with her tea, she eats quickly.

"Do you have plans today, Bella?"

"Buried in the country? Hardly, mother. Why can't we spend the summer at grandfather's house in London?"

"You have many years to live in the city," Druella chides softly. "Enjoy your childhood."

One black eyebrow cocks as their eldest cooly replies," I'm not a child, mother."

"How about you invite a few of your friends to join you for a week?" Cygnus interjects, and Druella mentally sighs. As Bellatrix has grown older, she's become more and more like her cold and distant grandmother, Druella's own mother with whom she has little in common.

Always her father's daughter more than her own, their eldest gives him a genuine smile. "Thank you, papa. I'd like that. And, also, while they're here, if I could have an evening party with some boys...?"

It's on the tip of Druella's tongue to deny her sixteen year old a party with boys, but...

Cygnus smiles indulgently. "Chaperoned."

"Papa!"

"By your cousin, Mathilde?"

Bellatrix relents with a heavy, put-upon sigh, but Druella knows that was the plan all along. She decides to indulge the girl, no, young woman, to keep the peace.

"I suppose you'll want a new dress," her husband adds.

A true grin crosses her face as she nods.

"I'm taking Cissy shopping for clothes in a few days, would you like to join us, Bella?"

"Can we eat dinner at Grandy's?" It was her favorite restaurant as a child, and Druella's pleased to know that perhaps Bellatrix isn't growing up too fast.

"Of course."

"Then, yes, I'll join you, as long as we don't go to any children's shops. It's time for Cissy to move away from childish frills, anyway, and wear more grown-up dresses."

"I like frills," their youngest protests.

Bellatrix ignores her, turning her sly gaze on Andromeda. "You could do with a few new dresses, too, Andi."

The horror on their middle daughter's face, makes the eldest laugh, and the talk turns to a loud discussion on fashion, and Andromeda's desire to only ever wear boy's clothes.

Taking Druella's hand, Cygnus lifts it to his lips and murmurs, "I'll leave you to this, dearest."

"Coward," she whispers back with a smile.

"I have a meeting with our agent to prepare for to discuss agricultural futures. Very tedious and it will probably go through dinner. Shall we have tea here at four?"

"If the weather holds," she agrees. "I believe I shall do a bit of pruning on my roses."

As he heads back inside the house, Andromeda jumps up and strides off to the stables.

"I'm going riding!"

"What a surprise," Bellatrix murmurs and daintily wipes her mouth with her serviette, and Narcissa giggles and pushes back from the table.

"Come on...Star?" The puppy yips.

Druella softly instructs, "Cissy, dear, you need to dress before you chase that puppy anymore."

"Yes, mama!" She dashes into the house, followed by Star.

"That's an innocuous name."

"Bella, she's barely twelve. Just because you named your cat 'Beezle.'

"And I was only nine then. If you keep coddling her, mother, she's never going to be anything."

Cool brown eyes met her own green ones, and Druella sighs again. "Just like you and Andi, she'll be whatever she wants to be."

"At least Cissy sorted into Slytherin," Bellatrix mutters as she rises to stride into the house.

Picking up her cup, warming the tea with a quick spell, Druella muses over the differences in her children. It doesn't bother her that Andromeda is a Gryffindor. She knows her parents, Cygnus' siblings, were all shocked, but her daughters are all unique, their personalities their own.

In the end, her hopes and dreams for them are all the same.

That they be as happy in their lives as she is.

End


End file.
